


The Talk

by PurplMuffinXTRM



Series: Changing Tides [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Aftermath, Angst, Confusion, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Issues, Gender Issues, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Mental Health Issues, Past Abuse, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 16:18:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15343680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurplMuffinXTRM/pseuds/PurplMuffinXTRM
Summary: After Izo's little outburst Marco has come to realize Thatch and Ann need help figuring out their relationship. If only he had realized how much support Ann needed before she joined the crew. Maybe then he could have helped her before she got this bad.





	The Talk

**Author's Note:**

> Occurs within a week of 'The Confrontation.'

“Izo had a point the other day yoi,” Marco tells Ann and Thatch. “This has gone on long enough. You either need to talk to each other about this or talk to someone else. But, this has to end.”

“Can't you just let us deal with this on our own,” Thatch complains. “Instead of doing this intervention crap.”

“I've tried. But, now it's starting to affect the rest of the fourth division. You have forced my hands in this matter yoi. Talk to someone about what is going on in your head and find a way to compromise.”

“Alright,” Thatch sighs. 

“Ann?”

Said female stares at the ground. She looks up at the first mate through disheveled bangs. “I… I don't…” She chews her lip. “I can't… I- I- I don't think I can talk to anyone alone.”

“Want me to go with you?” The auburn haired male places a hand on her shoulder. 

She nods. “Please?”

“Alright. Who are you going to talk to yoi?” Marco's voice is gentle but still firm. 

Ann looks to Thatch. He shrugs. “It’s up to you.” Ann merely shifts her gaze between the two men. “It can be anyone you want.”

“Anyone?”

“Of course,” Marco reassures. “It could be me. Or Izo. Or even Pops.”

“I… what about all three of you?” She immediately backtracks. “Wait. That's weird, isn't it? Wanting to talk to a group rather than-”

“It's fine yoi.”

“Don't worry.” Thatch grins. “I've seen weirder.”

Later that night Marco, Izo, and Pops wait in the captain's room. Pops sits in his bed, and his two commanders sit in chairs to his side. Ann and Thatch are the last to arrive. “Sorry, we're late. Had a spill in the kitchen.”

“Bah. You're fine,” Pops scoffs. Now, what is this all about? It's not often I get involved in my children's relationships.”

“Yes but, theirs is affecting the performance of the fourth division,” Marco explains.

“Well, my sons, what is going on?”

“She has a right to hate me,”Thatch starts.

“I don't hate you!” Ann protests.

“Please explain, Ann.”

“I… I just… I don’t know.”

“It’s alright yoi. Take your time yoi.”

“Damn it.” Ann rubs furiously at the tears forming in her eyes. “I told myself I’d stop doing this,” she mutters. Thatch places a hand on her shoulder, and she freezes. “Please, don't touch me.” Thatch removes his hand.

“Come sit,” Whitebeard invites. Ann does so while Thatch remains standing.

“Why don’t you try starting from the beginning,” Izo urges.

Ann laughs. “The beginning seems trivial now. The beginning is long before I met Thatch.”

“Start where ever you see fit, my son. We just want to know what’s going on with you. We’re concerned, and we want to understand.”

“I don’t understand it myself. I just… I guess I’m confused. I’m not sure.. how I should be feeling.”

“There is no one thing that anyone should feel in any given situation. There is only what you do feel.”  
Marco reaches out and touches her knee in a would be a comforting gesture. Ann jerks back.

“Sorry. Please, don’t touch me.”

“Don’t apologize yoi. It’s me that should be saying sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“You could start by telling us why you don’t like being touched,” Izo suggest.

Ann thinks for a moment. “It’s not all the time. It’s just sometimes it happens.” She pauses. “I know that you won’t hurt me. I trust that you won’t.” The four men smile at that. “But sometimes when you -when anyone- touches me, it reminds me of what happened that day. It’s almost like a switch. One minute I’m fine or relatively fine and the next I’m expecting to get hit.”

The five Whitebeard Pirates are silent for a while.

“Ann,” Thatch speaks up. “If it helps you can talk like I’m not here. Or I can leave the room.”

“You can stay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She looks back at him. “I want you to stay.”

“Alright.”

“I don’t hate you.” She turns back to the others. “Despite what you may think, I don’t hate Thatch. There’s only one person in this world that I hate, and he is not around here. Hell, I bet he never left Dawn.” She snorts and pauses for a moment. “I don’t even hate my old crew.” She laughs bitterly. “They did something unforgivable, and I can’t bring myself to hate them. After all they did there’s still a part of me that loves them, that cherishes the time we spent together. It’s confusing. I don’t understand it. I should hate them for what they did but I just… I can’t. There are some days I can’t stop thinking about it. Like the day Izo yelled at me and Thatch. I couldn’t stop thinking about my old crew. And what they did. And how they died. And I don’t know what to do about it.”

“So you lash out at your brother,” Whitebeard concludes.

Ann nods. “‘Cause he’s the one who took them from me.” 

“Thatch?”

“I saw a group of men going after a little girl and reacted.”

“Ha. First time being a girl has come in handy.”

“This leads back to why you wanted to be my so rather than my daughter doesn't it?”

“Hmm. I grew up in a jungle with my brothers and was raised by a group of bandits. For the first ten years of my life, my gender didn't matter. The only thing any of us cared about was finding more treasure to add to our pirate fund. Then shit happened. Me and my brothers got hurt, and one of them died. After that one of the others thought they were protecting me by telling me that girls can't be pirates.”

“That didn't go so well did it?” Thatch laughs. 

“No. I was fourteen and pissed when I ran away. I decided to start my own pirate crew. I was such an idiot.” Another bitter laugh leaves the young girl. Only a year older now than when she left her home. “I was young and naive, and my crew took advantage of it. I didn't even realize it until it was too late. I went from their captain to their pawn. Thatch ran into us the day they decided they were going to fuck me.”

“They betrayed your trust yoi.”

“I'll be honest,” Izo admits. “I don't know how to help you.”

Ann hugs her knees to her chest. “I think this helped.”

“Then on days you feel confused or angry you come talk to one of us,” Whitebeard decides. “It's much healthier for you and the crew than targeting Thatch.”

"Thank you."


End file.
